Dozens turned out under grey skies and drizzling rain for the annual rainbow flag raising at Langley City hall on Monday morning, July 29.
A smiling City Mayor Nathan Pachal said it was "raining tears of happiness."
Pachal recalled when the council of the day approved the first flag raising in 2017 to coincide with Pride Week in Vancouver.
"As the only openly gay person on council at the time, it meant a lot," Pachal commented.
Langley City has inspired other communities in the region to do the same, the mayor noted.
"A lot of municipalities here are raising the flag this week, just to acknowledge and say that folks look to us." Pachal said.
"This has been going on for almost a decade now and it's exciting to do this once again."
Members of Langley City council, including Teri James, Rosemary Wallace and Mike Solyom, attended.
Also present was Langley MLA Andrew Mercier, who viewed the tradition as an indicator of progress.
"Pride started as a protest, but what it's become is a celebration," Mercier said.
"I think that is a good thing and that is a sign of how far we've come."
On Monday, the Rainbow Flag was flown on the flagpole at Langley City Hall/Timms Community Centre to coincide with Vancouver’s annual Pride Week. pic.twitter.com/7R09PytqlB
— Langley Advance Times (@LangleyTimes) July 29, 2024
Carly Schneider, a facilitator with Friend of Dorothy, a weekly Langley social group for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth ages 12 to 24, said the flag raising served to "amplify the voices and identities" of people "which have been marginalized and don't always feel safe living in their authenticity."
"By raising the flag, we highlight their identity and hope to shine some community welcoming, and encourage everyone to take note of the diversity that exists amongst us within our Langley City," Schneider told the Langley Advance Times.
Friends of Dorothy meets Thursdays at Foundry Langley from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.More information about the group can be found in Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FODLangley.
The rainbow flag was to be flown alongside the City of Langley flag in front of City Hall from Monday, July 29 to the morning of Monday, Aug. 5.
In 2020, a complaint about the Langley City flag raising was dismissed by the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal after what a staff report described as a "lengthy and involved process" that cost the City more than $62,000.
READ ALSO: Human rights complaint over Langley Pride flag tossed out
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